Month: April 2012

Catholic Charities of Atlanta (CCA) and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) today announced a partnership to open Georgia’s first Immigration Law Clinic to provide CCA clients with legal counsel and representation and offer second-and third-year law students real-world experience under the direction of licensed attorneys.

Key facts about the new Immigration Law Clinic:

•The clinic will open Fall 2012 at the CCA offices, 2305 Parklake Dr. NE Bldg. 9, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA, 30345;
•Services will include assistance with benefits filings, various petitions, on-site counsel at detention facilities;
•CCA serves clients who are victims of domestic violence, abused immigrant children, trafficking victims, asylum, family-based adjustment and naturalization cases. All are at or below the poverty level;
•CCA meets with 1,500 new clients and 4,800 detainees each year. There are 750 open/active cases; and
•The clinic is the first clinic of any kind for AJMLS.

“The new Immigration Clinic in partnership with Catholic Charities demonstrates our commitment to the community and preparing our students to practice law,” said Richardson Lynn, Dean and Professor of Law at AJMLS. “We are honored to work along with Catholic Charities as it serves the rapidly growing immigrant community.”

The clinic will offer CCA clients assistance with filings for immigration benefits based on family eligibility, violence against women petitions, crime victim petitions and temporary protective status. The clinic will also serve detainees at immigration detention facilities.

“Our partnership with AJMLS marks the first Immigration Clinic in the state of Georgia,” said Jennifer Bensman, Program Director of Immigration Legal Services at CCA. “We are looking forward to working with students and preparing them to interact directly with clients. It is my hope that after the completion of the Immigration Law Clinic, John Marshall students will continue to seek pro bono opportunities.”

Students will gain real-world legal experience in an academic environment, while providing assistance to CCA clients. Students will develop skills in problem-solving, client interviewing, collaborating and cross-cultural awareness, and they will also meet with detainees at immigration detention facilities.

“Students who possess a strong interest in immigration affairs are ideal candidates for the Immigration Law Clinic,” said Renata Turner, Clinic Director and Associate Professor at AJMLS. “As the school’s first clinic, we are excited to introduce students to real-world cases as a part of their legal education.”

In the Spring 2012 issue of PreLaw Magazine, Dean Lynn was interviewed about the rapid expansion AJMLS has experienced in the last year.

In addition to the physical-size of the school expanding with the construction of new classrooms and the Blackburn Conference Center, AJMLS has added a J.D. Honors program in Criminal Justice, an LL.M. in Employment Law, and even a branch campus in Savannah, GA. “We’re trying to continuously improve the environment for students and make them comfortable in this location with its great access to resources,” said Lynn.

In the Spring semester, AJMLS first-year students receive appellate advocacy training. As part of this process, they participate in an appellate advocacy competition. The 1L Oral Advocacy Competition is divided into four initial rounds, with the pool of competing students becoming smaller with each round. The top four finalists then argue at the Georgia Court of Appeals before a bench of state and federal judges. Two winners, one advocating for the Appellant and one advocating for the Appellee, are then announced at the conclusion of the final round.

This year, our top four finalists argued at the Georgia Court of Appeals on April 18, 2012. The AJMLS finalists who argued before these judges were:

AJMLS would like to congratulate all of the finalists of this year’s 1L Oral Advocacy Competition! We also want to thank the stellar bench of judges who volunteered their time and lent their support to our students and to this annual competition!

AJMLS student organizations joined forces to participate in Relay for Life last Friday. The April 13th event at Georgia State University raised $17,427. Of the 37 teams participating, AJMLS came in first place, raising $2,681 for the American Cancer Society.

This dominant effort was lead by Eric von Hacke, President of the Litigation Society, and included support from the Asian Law Student Association, the Black Law Student Association, our Georgia Association of Women Lawyers chapter, the Immigration Law Society, Phi Alpha Delta, the Latin American Law Student Association, the SBA and the Student Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.

Thank you to everyone who donated their time and money to this worthwhile cause.

On April 14, 2010, volunteers from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School helped the Atlanta Community Food Bank to distribute 3,448 pounds of food to 2,298 families. Volunteers included faculty, staff and students of the school, with Professor Renata Turner, Shannon Keef, Randi Moore, Anne Bowerman, Carlos Nauedo, Alpa Amin, Barbara Herzberg, Lauren Wallace, Cliff Turner and Gregory Gelpi all lending a hand to this great cause. The Atlanta Community Food Bank works with more than 800 nonprofit partner agencies including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters, senior centers and other service programs to distribute almost two million pounds of food each month to low-income Georgians. To learn more about The Atlanta Community Food Bank, please visit their website at www.ACFB.org Volunteers pictured (from left to right): Barbara Herzberg, Shannon Keef, Alpa Amin, Randi Moore and Greg Gelpi

On April 14, 2010, volunteers from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School helped the Atlanta Community Food Bank to distribute 3,448 pounds of food to 2,298 families. Volunteers included faculty, staff and students of the school, with Professor Renata Turner, Shannon Keef, Randi Moore, Anne Bowerman, Carlos Nauedo, Alpa Amin, Barbara Herzberg, Lauren Wallace, Cliff Turner and Gregory Gelpi all lending a hand to this great cause.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank works with more than 800 nonprofit partner agencies including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters, senior centers and other service programs to distribute almost two million pounds of food each month to low-income Georgians. To learn more about The Atlanta Community Food Bank, please visit their website at www.ACFB.org

Whether you’re planning a small, intimate reception or coordinating an extravagant event, the message is the same – Meet at Blackburn! That’s the Judge G. Alan Blackburn Conference Center (BCC) on the campus of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS).

Named after one of AJMLS’s most influential alumni and former board member, Judge G. Alan Blackburn, the BCC, at the corner of 18th and Spring Streets, features contemporary conference, board and seminar rooms, a spacious reception and exhibit hall, kitchen and a 350-seat auditorium.

“The Blackburn Conference Center will provide a convenient meeting place for businesses, organizations and individuals looking for a Midtown Atlanta location to host meetings, receptions and a range of events,” said Hilary Patrick, the BCC’s new Director of Meeting and Conference Services. “The center is a 16,500-square foot facility that fuses stylish amenities with the ability to meet any educational, entertainment or special event need.”

Conveniently situated in Atlanta’s thriving Midtown district, the BCC is at the epicenter of Atlanta business and living. The BCC is only minutes from Atlantic Station to the west, downtown to the south and Buckhead to the north with its trendy shops and boutiques, the best in Southern cuisine, hotels, and easy access to Interstates 20, 75 and 85. Parking is convenient and within walking distance to public transportation.

“Reserving the BCC is simple,” Patrick said. “Meeting planners, public relations firms, administrative assistants and others responsible for securing space can reserve the facility directly from our new webpage at www.blackburncenter.com.”